TACHEOMETRIC

SURVEYING
Content:

Introduction to tacheometry
Uses of tacheometry
Instruments to be used in tacheometry
Principle of tacheometry
Methods of tacheometry
Stadia system of tacheometry
Additive and multiplying constants
Numerical based on stadia tacheometry
INTRODUCTION:

Tacheometry or tachemetry or telemetry is a branch of angular surveying in which the

horizontal and Vertical distances of points are obtained by optical means as opposed to the
ordinary slower process of measurements by tape or

Tacheometry is a system of rapid surveying, by which the positions, both horizontal and
vertical, of points on the earth surface relatively to one another are determined without
using a chain or tape or a separate leveling instrument.
 The method is very rapid and convenient.
 It is best adapted in obstacles such as steep and broken ground, deep revines, stretches
of water or swamp and so on, which make chaining difficult or impossible,
 The primary objective of tacheometry is the preparation of contoured maps or plans
requiring both the horizontal as well as Vertical control. Also, on surveys of higher
accuracy, it provides a check on distances measured with the tape.
USES OF TACHEOMETRY

The tacheometric methods of surveying are used with advantage

over the direct methods of measurement of horizontal distances and
differences in elevations.
 Preparation of topographic maps which require both elevations and
horizontal distances.
 Survey work in difficult terrain where direct methodsare inconvenient
 Detail filling
 Reconnaissance surveys for highways, railways, etc.
 Checking of already measured distances
 Hydrographic surveys
 Establishing secondary control.
INSTRUMENTS

1. Dumpy level fitted with stadia wires.

2. An ordinary transit theodolite fitted with a stadia diaphragm

- The stadia diaphragm essentially consists of one stadia hair above and the other an equal
distance below the horizontal cross-hair, the stadia hairs being mounted in the ring and on the
same vertical plane as the horizontal and vertical cross-hairs.Stadia is a tacheometric form of
distance measurement that relies on fixed angle intercept.
The telescope used in stadia surveying are of three kinds:
(1) The simple external-focusing telescope
(2) the external-focusing anallactic telescope (Possor`s telescope)
(3) the internal-focusing telescope.

A tacheometer must essentially incorporate the following features:

(i) The multiplying constant should have a nominal value of 100 and the error contained in this value
should not exceed 1 in 1000.
(ii) The axial horizontal line should be exactly midway between the other two lines.
(iii) The telescope should be truly anallactic.
(iv) The telescope should be powerful having a magnification of 20to 30 diameters.
(v) The aperture of the objective should be 35 to 45 mm in diameter to have a sufficiently bright image.
(vi) For small distances (say upto 100 meters), ordinary levelling staff may be used. For greater distances a
stadia rod may be used.
(vii) A stadia rod is usually of one piece, having 3 – 5 meters length.
(viii) A stadia rod graduated in 5 mm (i.e. 0.005 m) for smaller distances and while for longer distances, the
rod may be graduated in 1 cm (i.e. 0.01 m).
3. Stadia rod / levelling staff
Different systems of Tacheometric Measurement:
The various systems of tacheometric survey may be classified as
follows:
1. The stadia System
A. Fixed Hair method of Stadia method
B. Movable hair method, or Subtense method
2. The tangential system
3. Measurements by means of special instruments

Principle of Tacheometry

The principle common to all the systems is to calculate the horizontal distance between
two points A and B and their distances in elevation, by observing

i. The angle at the instrument at A subtended by a known short distance along a

staff kept at B, and

ii. the vertical angle to B from A.

1. (A) FIXED HAIR METHOD

• In this method, the angle at the instrument at A subtended by a known

short distance along a staff kept at B is made with the help of a stadia
diaphragm having stadia wires at fixed or constant distance apart.
• The readings are on the staff corresponding to all the three wires taken.
• The staff intercept, i.e. the difference of the readings corresponding to top
and bottom stadia wires will therefore depend on the distance of the staff
from the instrument.
• When the staff intercept is more than the length of the staff, only half
intercept is read.
• For inclined sight, readings may be taken by keeping the staff either
vertical or normal to the line of sight.
• This is the most common method is tacheometry and the same ‘stadia
method’ generally bears reference to this method.
1. (B) SUBTENSE METHOD/ MOVABLE HAIR METHOD
• This method is similar to the fixed hair method except that the stadia interval is variable.

• Suitable arrangement is made to vary the distance between the stadia hair as to set them against the two
targets on the staff kept at the point under observation.

• Thus, in this case, the staff intercept, i.e., the distance between the two targets is kept fixed while the
stadia interval, i.e., the distance between the stadia hair is variable.

• As in the case of fixed hair method, inclined sights may also be taken.

2. TANGENTIAL METHOD
 In this method, the stadia hairs are not used, the readings being taken against the horizontal
cross-hair.
 To measure the staff intercept, two pointings of the instruments are therefore, necessary.
 This necessitates measurement of vertical angles twice for one single observation.
PRINCIPLE OF TACHEOMETRY / STADIA METHOD
The stadia method is based on the principle that the ratio of the perpendicular to the base
is constant in similar isosceles triangles.

In figure, let two rays OA and OB be equally inclined to central ray OC. Let A2B2, A1B1 and AB be the staff
intercepts. Evidently,

This constant k entirely depends upon the magnitude of the angle β.

 In actual practice, observations may be made with either horizontal line of sight or with inclined line of sight.

 In the later case the staff may be kept either vertically or normal to the line of sight.
 First the distance-elevation formulae for the horizontal sights should be derived.

Horizontal Sights:

Consider the figure, in which O is the optical centre of the objective of an external focusing telescope.

Let A, C, and B = the points cut by the three lines of sight corresponding to three wires.
b, c, and a = top, axial and bottom hairs of the diaphragm. ab = i = interval b/w the
stadia hairs (stadia interval)
AB = s = staff intercept;
f = focal length of the objective
f1 = horizontal distance of the staff from the optical centre of the objective f2 = horizontal distance of the
cross-wires from O.
d = distance of the vertical axis of the instrument from O.
D = horizontal distance of the staff from the vertical axis of the instruments. M = centre of the instrument,
corresponding to the vertical axis.
Since the rays BOb and AOa pass through the optical centre, they are straight so that AOB and aOb are
similar. Hence,

Again, since f1 and f2 are conjugate focal distances, we have from lens formula,
Above equation is known as the distance equation. In order to get the horizontal distance, therefore, the
staff intercept s is to be found by subtracting the staff readings corresponding to the top and bottom stadia
hairs.
The constant k = f/i is known as the multiplying constant or stadia interval factor and the constant (f + d) =
C is known as the additive constant of the instrument.
The values of the multiplying constant k and the additive constant C can be computed by the following
methods:
1st method:
In this method, the additive constant C = (f + d) is measured from the instrument while the multiplying
constant k is computed from field observations:
1. Focus the instrument to a distant object and measure along the telescope the distance between the
objective and cross-hairs,

2. The distance d between the instrument axis and the objective is variable in the case of external focusing
telescope, being greater for short sights and smaller for long sights. It should, therefore be measured
for average sight. Thus, the additive constant (f + d) is known.
3. To calculate the multiplying constant k, measure a known distance D1 and take the intercept s1 on the
staff kept at that point, the line of sight being horizontal. Using the equation,

For average value, staff intercepts, s2, s3 etc., can be measured corresponding to distance D2, D3 etc.,
and mean value can be calculated.
Note: In case of some external focusing instruments, the eye-piece-diaphragm unit moves during focusing.
For such instruments d is constant and does not vary while focusing.

2nd method:
In this method, both the constants are determined by field observations as under:
1. Measure a line, about 200m long, on fairly level ground and drive pegs at some interval, say 50 meters.
2. Keep the staff on the pegs and observe the corresponding staff intercepts with horizontal sight.
3. Knowing the values of D and s for different points, a number of simultaneous equations can be formed
by substituting the values of D and s in equation D = k.s + C. The simultaneous solution of successive
pairs will give the values of k and C, and the average of these can be found.
For example, if s1 is the staff intercept corresponding to distance D1 and s2 corresponding to D2 we have,

. . . . . (ii)

Subtracting (i) from (ii), we get

. . . . . . . . . (1)

Substituting the values of k in (i), we get

. . . . . . . . . (2)

Thus equation (1) and (2) give the values of k and C.

Distance and Elevation formulae for Staff Vertical : Inclined Sight

Let P = Instrument station; Q = Staff station

M = position of instruments axis; O = Optical centre of the objective

A, C, B = Points corresponding to the readings of the three hairs

s = AB = Staff intercept; i = Stadia interval

Ө = Inclination of the line of sight from the horizontal

L = Length MC measured along the line of sight

D = MQ’ = Horizontal distance between the instrument and the staff

V = Vertical intercept at Q, between the line of sight and the horizontal line

h = height of the instrument; r = central hair reading

β = angle between the two extreme rays corresponding to stadia hairs.

• Draw a line A’CB’ normal to the line of sight OC.
• Angle AA`C = 900 + β/2, being the exterior angle of the ∆COA`.
• Similarly, from ∆COB`, angle OB`C = angle BB`C = 900 – β/2.
Since β/2 is very small (its value being equal to 17’ 11” for k = 100), angle AA’C and angle BB’C may be
approximately taken equal to 900.

∟AA’C = ∟BB’C = 900

From ∆ ACA’, A’C = AC cos Ө or A’B’ = AB cos Ө = s cos Ө ……….(a)

Since the line A’B’ is perpendicular to the line of sight OC, equation L = k s’ + C is directly applicable.
Hence, we have

. . . . . . . (b)

The horizontal distance

D = L cosӨ = (k s cosӨ + C) cosӨ
D = k s cos2Ө + C cosӨ
Similarly, V = L sin Ө = (k s cosӨ + C) sinӨ = k s cosӨ . sinӨ + C sinӨ

Thus equations (1) and (2) are the distance and elevation formulae for inclined line of sight.
(a) Elevation of the staff station for angle of elevation
If the line of sight has an angle of elevation Ө, as shown in the figure, we have

Elevation of staff station = Elevation of instrument station + h + V – r.

(b) Elevation of the staff station for the angle of depression:

Elevation of Q = Elevation of instrument station + h – V - r

Distance and Elevation formulae for Staff Normal : Inclined Sight

Figure shows the case when the staff is held normal to the line of sight.
Case (a): Line of Sight at an angle of elevation Ө

Let AB = s = staff intercept; CQ = r = axial hair reading

With the same notations as in the last case, we have

MC = L = K s + C
The horizontal distance between P and Q is given by

D = MC’ + C’Q’ = L cosӨ + r sinӨ

= (k s + C) cosӨ + r sinӨ
. . . . . (3)

Similarly, V = L sinӨ = (k s + C) sinӨ . . . . . (4)

Case (b): Line of Sight at an angle of depression Ө

Figure shows the line of sight depressed downwards,

MC = L = k s + C
D = MQ’ = MC’ – Q’C’
= L cosӨ - r sinӨ
D = (k s + C) cosӨ - r sinӨ . . . . . (5)

. . . . . (6)
V = L sinӨ = (k s + C) sinӨ